BANGKOK (AP) — Health officials in Thailand said Tuesday it is likely that a French woman who earlier this month tested positive for the coronavirus became infected when she stayed under quarantine at a hotel near Bangkok.
The 57-year-old woman tested positive after she and her family flew on Oct. 15 from Bangkok to the island of Koh Samui, where she experienced symptoms of the disease. Her case was one of the few of local transmission reported in Thailand over the past several months.
After her infection was confirmed, the communal areas of the hotel where she stayed were checked, and traces of the coronavirus were found in its gym area.
The authorities also announced that two more people quarantined at the hotel were found infected with the coronavirus, one Asian, one European, both male. The Health Ministry said it had not yet concluded whether those two people were infected at the hotel.
More than 100 people who may have come in contact with the French woman have been tested for the virus, but none has been found infected so far.
Thailand announced three new cases on Tuesday, all imported, bringing the total to 3,746, including 59 deaths.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
— Sri Lankan police say they have arrested more than 1,100 people over the last several days for violating curfews imposed in parts of the country to contain the coronavirus amid a new surge of the virus. The government has widened curfews in parts of the capital, Colombo, and some areas in Western province, where a new cluster centered at a garment factory was discovered early this month. Colombo is in Western province. More than a dozen villages in different parts of the country have also been isolated to curb the spread. On Tuesday, police spokesman Ajith Rohana said 1,122 people have been arrested for violating curfews and quarantine regulations over a period of more than a week. Those arrested could face a fine of 10,000 rupees ($54) or six months in prison, or both. Sri Lanka has reported a total of 8,413 cases. It also has had 17 deaths, including one reported on Tuesday.
Follow all of AP’s coronavirus pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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